Wheel for vehicles



Patented Apr. 22, 1924.

UNITED TTES Application led July 9,

To all 'whom t may oncem:

Be it known that lf, WILLY Horn, a citizen of Germany, residing atBerlin, Germany, have invented a new and useful Wheel for Vehicles, ofwhich the following is a specilication.

The use of sheet metal plates in the manufacture of wheels forautomobiles, flying machines and other vehicles is known.

Heretofore several ways of folding or bending have been tried for givingthe sheet metal the necessary lateral stability. Complete success wasnever attained in any of these methods, as no way had yet been found tofold the sheet metal cleanly, it always being stretched or distorted inplaces, so that rents occurred, and also for the reason that no suitablemeans were affordedv for securing the folded plates properly to the hub.

The principle of my invention consists in a wheel with a cleanly foldedsheet metal plate in which sectorlike pieces lie flatly in the middleplane of the wheel, whereby the generally inversely wedge-shaped piecesbetween same are bent outwardly into ribs. The Hat sectorlike pieces maybe attached by means of rivets, screws, welding or other means directlyto a fiat flange on the hub, whereby great solidity for transmittingmoments of rotation is attained and there is no danger'of the platetearing at any point, as the form is folded cleanly without theslightest stretching.

For this construction the material used is a straight strip of sheetmetal, if the resultant axial depth of the ribs on the hub is foundconvenient. If it is found necessary that -the ribs should have asmaller depth a strip of sheet metal in the form of a circular rim or asector rim is necessary, from which the inner circumference part formsthe circumference of the hub.

Inversely if a greater depth of the ribs near the hub is to be obtaineda sector is used from which the outer circumference forms thecircumference of the hub.

In order to ensure a firm hold on the hub and to attain the properone-sidedness of the wheel by a divergence of the middle rim plane fromthe middle huh plane, it is further important that all ribs should beformed on one side of the fiat sector parts in such manner that they canbe easily riveted to the hub ange. Furthermore the lower rib edgesshould be cut in such manner WILLY HOPE, or BERLIN, GERMANY.

WHEEL non VEHICLES. i

1921. seran No. 483,568.

that they rest on the circumferential surface of the hub and can bewelded to same.

The ribs may be bent in round undulated form, but it is convenient tobend them sharply, in order to ensure accuracy of form and greaterstability. If necessary, they can also be folded in an overlappingZigzag or corrugated form like the well-known roofing with coarsecorrugations and finer corrugations overlapping same.

The drawings show two examples of the new wheel, to-wit:

Figs. 1 and 2 are cross-section rand lateral views respectively.

F ig. 3 isa detail view of the sheet metal strip from which the plate ismade, in preliminary slightly folded form. 1

Fig. 4f is a detail of the round sheet metal part from which the plateis made, with nonconical ribs.

The sheet metall strip is divided into sector-shaped parts 1 with rimparts 2 kbetween same. The sector parts l form with their edges 3 theouter circumference and withk their edges 4e the inner circumference ofthe plate centre, in both of which cases the space filled by the ribs 2is to be deducted.

The ribs 2 are sector-shaped, and are arranged in reverse relation tothe sector parts 1, each rib widening towards its inner end andcomprising two folds on the line 5 arranged at an angle to each otherand also at an angle to the adjacent flat sector portions. Said ribseach form an acute angle, and when used in a wheel subjected to butslight lateral stress can be reduced to a single point at the crossareasupport-ing the rim. The inner edges 6 of the rib folds also form anacute angle, serve as connecting surfaces for the hub and are cut insuch form as to cause them to rest entirely on the same.

According to offering circumstances a complete connection of the twosides of each rib part 2 can be provided, so that they rest flatlyagainst each other and can be connected with each other by welding,riveting and similar means. Sector edges 3 and 4 then constitute theentire circumference of rim and hub respectively.

The plate centre part folded in this manner is welded with its outercircumference to a main rim 7 which is adapted to receive laninterchangeable pneumatic tire rim 8f 011th@ inside e heb 9 is alsoWelded to the edges of the ribs and a flange l() of the hub is at thesame time connected to the sector parts l by means of rivets, in orderto transmit moments of rotation. To the front part of the hub a flange1l is also screwed which covers the rib ends and which may be welded tosame. The hub 8 has as a rule the same shape as the well-known Rudgehub, causing the curved form oli' the edges 6 shown in the drawings, andat the sameJ time the one-sided connections of the rims 7 8 to the flatsector portions and thereby to one end of the hub, namely above theflange 10, is practical, seeing that this portion holds the largeball-bearing receiving the principal strain, whereas the otherball-bearing near the screwed on liange 1l is to receive side strains.Hereby the connection of plate part l and ange l0 is at the same timesimplified and the desirable closeness of the rims 7, 8 to the body ofcar or frame or vehicle is thus rendered possible.

F ig. 4: shows an almost circular plate in which four ribs with paralleledges are provided which when brought in closc contact with each otherform a complete round sheet of metal with ribs of great axial depthtowards the rim-side of the rib and a comparatively smaller depth at thehub-side of the ribs than in the rst eonstructional form. The ribs inthis diagram may also possess wedge-shapes as in Figs. l-B. Theabovenamed four ribs are generally sufficient to give a very goodstability to transmit moments ot rotation and at the same time the wholeconstruction is very simple.

l claim:

l. A wheel comprising a central Afolded sheet metal plate having radial'folds providing flat sector portions and sector shaped ribs between andarranged in reverse relation to said sector portions, each rib wideningtowards its inner end and comprising two folds arranged at an angleto'each other and also at an angle to the adjacent flat sector portions,a rim secured to theouter circumference of the flat sector portions, anda hub haring a flange at one end secured to the said flat sectorportions, and a second flange secured to said folded ribs.

2. wheel comprising a central folded sheet metal plate having radial'folds providing flat sector portions and sector shaped ribs between andarranged in reverse relation to said sector portions, each rib wideningtowards its inner end and comprising two folds arranged at an angle toeach other and also at an angle to the adjacent Hat sector portions, arim secured to the outer circumference ot the flat sector portions and ahub having a flange at one end secured to the said flat sector portions,and a second flange secured to said folded ribs, the latter being shapedat their inner ends to t on said hub.

In witness whereof I aix my si nature.

WLLY OPF.

